


Of Choosing Choices

by ayebydan



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:01:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24446272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ayebydan/pseuds/ayebydan
Summary: Harry Potter listens to Ronald Weasley's thoughts on his classes for his third year and therefore exams later on. Harry Potter then thinks maybe he should also talk to his other best friend. A best friend he finds himself getting closer to.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter
Comments: 2
Kudos: 67
Collections: SOA Fest 2020





	Of Choosing Choices

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for the organisers for giving me more time. Thanks to S for looking this over. Thanks to the prompter for a wonderful setting. I hope you see and like it. This is a pairing but they are 12/13 so I didn't want to go too far. Hope it still works ect.

Harry glances around the Common Room while slowly and carefully settling himself into a place on the couch beside Hermione. For one, he does not want to hurt her given she has recently been released from the Hospital Wing and more than that simply cannot shake the overall feeling that he is being watched. 

Hermione's hand cover's his and she smiles. He returns it and something...sits right. 

He is always going to be watched.

He is always going to be Harry Potter. 

"Did you look at the list, Harry?"

"Yeah but, none of it made much sense. In Primary school, they said that by the time it came to picking our GCSEs teachers for new courses would come in and tell you about them a bit. I thought we might get that but...I guess Hogwarts does not do things like that," says Harry glumly. "I figured I'd just take what Ron was going to take -ooor, I could listen to what you have to say?"

The growing frown which then gave way to a nod tells Harry that was the right answer. Eventually. 

"Ron always looks for an easy way out. But Harry...he grew up here. We did not and that is important. I agree it is odd that none of the other Professors came to talk to us and certainly that the Muggleborns and such did not get some sort of ...well at least a leaflet. You might have been missed because people forgetting where you were raised and well I was ....well, you know. But I asked Dean Thomas about it all and he says there was nothing and well, it isn't on!" Hermione states firmly, seeming to let Harry off the hook for his previous plan to blindly tick the same boxes that Ron did. "Personally I think that Arithmancy would be a good subject because...well wizarding money is just weird don't you think?"

Harry gives her a nod of his head and a rueful smile. "I'm pretty sure I still don't get it. I'm just really lucky to have been left so much that I always seem to have enough to hand over," he says before the colour drains from his face slightly, " Do not ever tell Ron I said that. Anyway, I don't really understand it. It does not even vaguely make sense. Neither does half the things people have to buy or don't have to buy but maybe I just do not understand enough about Transfiguration yet."

"I keep having to count it all in my head and it has been over two years," admits Hermione sheepishly. It makes Harry giggle a bit because it is very un-Hermione like. 

"It is not just maths though is it? The little information we get on the choosing form says so."

"Well yes," Hermione frowns before picking up said form and quoting it clearly, " _Arithmancy is a magical discipline that studies the magical properties of numbers, including predicting the future with numbers and numerology._ The idea that the universe breaks down into basic numbers that connect. I think," adds Hermione but Harry just remains confused.

"Divination is predicting the future though? Why have both?" says Harry.

"It does but...from what I gather you need to have a natural gift for it and I am not certain I understand what that means entirely." 

"This all sounds a bit like those weird columns my Aunt reads in the papers, to be honest."

After further conversations on Care of Magical Creatures the conversation turns to another offered topic and this time it is not Hermione who takes charge of the situation. Harry is the one who states firmly, "Neither of us are doing Muggle Studies. We were both raised my muggles and if Mr Weasley is what the course has to offer...I don't want to know."

Hermione looks like she wants to argue with him but he merely raises an eyebrow and after a moment she lowers her head slightly,

"You've got a point. I wanted to see what they saw in us but...no, you're right Harry. It is not worth it."

Harry feels a rare sense of academic satisfaction and catches himself. He would rather like this feeling again. 

They debate back and forth for what turns out to be hours and Harry does not think too much of it. He certainly does not think anything negative will come of it. 

&

"Mate, you seem exhausted," comments Ron as Harry follows him in a daze towards the Great Hall at lunchtime the following day.

"Yeah. I was up half the night debating class choices with Hermione," admits Harry without thinking anything of it. He does not expect Ron to spend the time they separate to walk down the table to sit opposite each other brooding over it. 

"What do you do that for?"

"Do what?"

"Talk to Hermione. I thought we agreed on our classes!"

Oblivious to the rage building with Ron the dark-haired boy sets about pulling a fresh role and some square sausage towards him before peering around for orange juice rather than the more common pumpkin.

"Hermione asked me to go over things with her again after being in the Hospital Wing for so long. I think we both expected it to be really different so it was good to do a second look over. Hermione was set to choose every class going! Plus, I realised I don't want to take Divination. I've decided to take Runes instead. I read about how important they are in wards."

"How could you do that!" Ron snarls over a large tub of sliced cucumber, alarming Katie Bell who shifts a little further down the table towards her friends. " We had an agreement!"

Harry flinches at the tone and edges himself back a little on the bench. He is very glad that Hermione has been caught up in Lavender and other girls in her dorm who want to check in with her after everything. "Ron, I just said I would probably take the same as you? I didn't write anything down? And...we do not have to always be in the same classes. That is not how it would be if you were in my, I mean the Muggle world."

"My?" Ron scowls, while viciously stabbing a portion of pie and dragging it to his plate with his knife and fork. It creates a screeching sound that is perfectly normal around the Great Hall. Ron does it daily. This time, however, it just makes Harry feel cold. "You're a Wizard."

"Yeah," exclaims Harry sharply, "But there is still so much I don't understand. That none of us raised there do! I wanted to understand better before I was forced to do three years or even five of classes in something!"

"You sided with Hermione is what you did!"

Harry gapes, "There are no sides, Ron! This is just like if I had to choose whether to take Chemistry or Physics! And yeah now _you_ are the one gaping at _me_ because that makes no sense. My parents died because of wards, Ron! I want to know how they work and Ancient Runes might help with that! Imagine if I made you pick Muggle subject with only a few lines to explain what it was! It makes no sense!"

Ron's face only turns redder so Harry drains his goblet of juice and wraps his roll in a napkin before shaking his head at his best friend and leaving the hall. 

He doesn't notice Hermione's questioning glance on his way out and it does not even occur to him that Ron will start on her next. 

He is far too riled up for that. 

&

"Harry?"

"I don't want to talk about it yet, Hermione."

He hears the shuffle of her robes and then feels her hand on his knee. It says there for a while, not long enough to make him uncomfortable, and then taps twice before it retreats to her lap. The Giant Squid rolls over across the top of the lake in front of them and something inside Harry eases off just enough. 

"Ron is not happy that I spoke to you. Or changed my subjects."

"But Harry we didn't agree that-"

"No, you're right. Runes might give me an understanding on old wards at some point. It is absolutely better than something I have never shown a gift for. And I like Magical Creatures. So, it makes sense that those are the two classes that I take," Harry rambles, happily gesturing towards the place they just saw the Squid make its appearance, "And you should also just take two. I know you're brilliant, Hermione but there are only so many hours in a day. Personally, I think you should drop Care of Magical Creatures."

He states all of this while looking out to the lake and when he turns to Hermione her eyes are narrowed and calculating, "But you are going to take Creatures?"

"Yes. I always hated Maths."

"So I could read your books?"

Harry snorts, "You make it a question as if I could ever stop you but yes?"

Hermione huffs and shrugs out of her cloak before snuggling in close to Harry, "Well, if you ever want my books you know I have them though I know you won't. And Harry? I-I appreciate that you listened to me."

Harry, still trying to work out how to wrap his arm around his friend and pull her close nods, "Of course. I-I can't imagine doing anything different."

"What are we going to do about Ron?"

"Who cares? If he wants to sulk let him. We will have most classes together. As if-"

"As if we were in Muggle school."

"Well yeah. He didn't like me saying that," admits Harry.

Hermione is quiet and then shuffles closer to Harry still, "Well I think that is the problem here. Just. You know."


End file.
